tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28295236826545272812014-09-30T23:08:57.449-07:00My Pearl BoxI am a jewellery designer based in Suffolk specialising in fresh water pearls. Here's my inspiration, my ideas and news from my life and business www.mypearlbox.com <a href="http://www.mypearlbox.folksy.com/"><img src="http://badges.folksy.com/images/badges/folksy-small.gif" alt="Folksy"></a>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-73680943842499238662010-02-09T02:00:00.000-08:002010-02-09T03:09:35.671-08:00Winners, winners, winners.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/S3E3nPRfR_I/AAAAAAAAADo/ma-mxsXvKOY/s1600-h/oscar-award-statue-300x300.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/S3E3nPRfR_I/AAAAAAAAADo/ma-mxsXvKOY/s320/oscar-award-statue-300x300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436187372467210226" /></a><br />Its a great day as our website has won a position in the Archive of the Best Flash Animation site. Four sites were nominated and then the final choice was down to public vote. We competed against web design sites from France, Croatia and The Phillipines. By Wednesday the Croatian site and My Pearl Box had pulled ahead of the others and then in the last 36 hours support for the Croatian site slowed right down whilst ours just carried on as strong as ever. <br />The whole process was very exciting, everyone in the family was constantly checking progress from dawn right through the day to late at night. The final evening was a bit like election night, staying up to see how the voting was changing, and praying that we wouldnt be pipped at the post. We finished 120 hits ahead with 2456 visits, from 95 countries around the world. I am glad it wasnt much more or we would have run out of bandwidth. <br />The final award was for Technical Merit, and one our designer, Ella, fully deserves. <br /> <br /><a href="http://www.bestflashanimationsite.com/archive/technical-merit/">bestflashanimationsite.com/archive/technical-merit/</a><br /> United States 2884<br /> India 1605<br /> Great Britain 1366<br /> Germany 717<br /> Netherlands 483<br /> Brazil 405<br /> Italy 388<br /> France 366<br /> Mexico 325<br /> Portugal 325<br /> Canada 312<br /> Romania 306<br /> European country 300<br /> Poland 275<br /> Turkey 241<br /> Australia 235<br /> Philippines 231<br /> Russian Federation 222<br /> Malaysia 194<br /> Colombia 183<br /> Spain 182<br /> Switzerland 163<br /> Belgium 155<br /> Greece 153<br /> Croatia 152<br /> Finland 135<br /> Argentina 135<br /> Denmark 129<br /> Sweden 118<br /> Austria 117<br /> Former Czechoslovakia 111<br /> Ukraine 108<br /> Iran 98<br /> South Africa 97<br /> Bulgaria 95<br /> Indonesia 94<br /> Ireland 88<br /> Israel 83<br /> China 79<br /> South Korea 78<br /> Thailand 78<br /> Slovenia 75<br /> <strong>Unknown 73 ???</strong><br /> Japan 68<br /> Hungary 64<br /> Singapore 62<br /> Czech Republic 58<br /> Saudi Arabia 57<br /> Tunisia 54<br /> Pakistan 52<br /> Morocco 51<br /> Slovak Republic 50<br /> Peru 48<br /> Norway 46<br /> Venezuela 45<br /> United Arab Emirates 44<br /> Egypt 42<br /> Lithuania 35<br /> Sri Lanka 33<br /> Puerto Rico 32<br /> Chile 30<br /> Algeria 29<br /> Bolivia 28<br /> Estonia 28<br /> Nepal 27<br /> Vietnam 26<br /> Kenya 24<br /> Bangladesh 23<br /> Guatemala 23<br /> New Zealand 23<br /> Lebanon 21<br /> Costa Rica 20<br /> Uruguay 20<br /> Nicaragua 19<br /> Hong Kong 19<br /> Macedonia 18<br /> Qatar 15<br /> Taiwan 10<br /> Syria 8<br /> Bahrain 8<br /> Ecuador 7<br /> Jamaica 7<br /> Bosnia-Herzegovina 7<br /> Latvia 7<br /> Moldova 7<br /> Honduras 6<br /> Iceland 6<br /> Malta 6<br /> Luxembourg 6<br /> Jordan 6<br /> Cyprus 5<br /> Burkina Faso 5<br /> Libya 5<br /> Trinidad and Tobago 5<br /> Panama 5<br /> Georgia 1<br /> Dominican Republic 1<br /> Sudan 1<br /> Mongolia 1Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-32220721001136577502010-02-05T00:47:00.000-08:002010-02-05T01:09:04.026-08:00Folksy Friday!Oooh my first folksy friday blog! Here are some little spring treasures I have found on folksy this friday! Can you guess what song I have stuck in my head this morning???<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://folksy.com/shops/Abilucreations"><img src="http://d200fahol9mbkt.cloudfront.net/item/354456/abilujuly09_013.JPG"></a><br><br /><br />Cheerful Sunflower stud earrings from abilu creations<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://folksy.com/shops/Fluffsstuffs"><img src="http://d200fahol9mbkt.cloudfront.net/item/697530/il_430xN_21015662.jpg"></a><br><br /><br />Probably not my favourite thing in fluffstuffs incredible shop of wonders but these lollipop earrings are still quite cute!<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://folksy.com/shops/superfumi"><img src="http://d200fahol9mbkt.cloudfront.net/item/812782/rainbowdeermirror1.jpg"></a><br><br /><br />There some brilliant little animal illustrations in superfumi's shop too!<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://folksy.com/shops/missleslieanne"><img src="http://d200fahol9mbkt.cloudfront.net/item/1500785/br1.JPG"></a><br><br /><br />and these made me smile from the Kooky*boutique!Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-37485669078638151382010-01-29T08:16:00.000-08:002010-01-29T12:20:08.993-08:00Valentines on Folksy<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/S2MObDccyOI/AAAAAAAAADg/QaOVKpb_L9M/s1600-h/whitehearearrings.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/S2MObDccyOI/AAAAAAAAADg/QaOVKpb_L9M/s400/whitehearearrings.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432201433482840290" /></a><br /><br />I needed a miserable cold day to jerk me into sorting out a longstanding problem. Changing the items in our My Pearl Box webshop is a relatively long process and not something I can do myself so now we have created <a href="http://www.folksy.com/shops/mypearlbox">Pearl Box at Folksy</a>which is an outlet site that I think is quite wonderful.<br />We have started off with a small range suitable for Valentines, but now I know just how easy it is we will be adding more very soon.Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-80546281043424342752010-01-10T04:14:00.000-08:002010-01-10T11:35:46.285-08:00Little Crane<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/S0orhkeyPcI/AAAAAAAAADY/-ZUAcad-__k/s1600-h/IMGP5608.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/S0orhkeyPcI/AAAAAAAAADY/-ZUAcad-__k/s400/IMGP5608.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425196556849659330" /></a><br />I am lucky enough to have a family of creative children, musically, artistically and craftily. Emily, My youngest daughter, who produced all the drawings for our web site has set up a craft site on Folksy <a href="http://www.folksy.com/shops/origami">(click here!)</a>in order to fund a trip to Thailand where she will do a TEFL course and then stay on in the area teaching English.<br />She has been making beautiful origami Cranes as a clever and long lasting alternative to a greetings card.Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-4365462591426342782009-12-31T04:28:00.000-08:002009-12-31T04:33:46.487-08:00New stuffIt's so cold outside, we've been dreaming of the beach and Mum and I came up with this little duo in the studio today and thought I'd pop it on here before it goes in our website shop.<br />Happy new year!!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SzyaGR3KJ6I/AAAAAAAAADA/84OjEUvMSag/s1600-h/blog+nexk.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SzyaGR3KJ6I/AAAAAAAAADA/84OjEUvMSag/s320/blog+nexk.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421377484111882146" /></a>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-85189911340025316222009-12-29T12:39:00.000-08:002009-12-29T12:49:29.968-08:00I've spotted something very exciting....I know - two posts in one day must mean Bronny is a very bored girl! Well in my defence I've now run out of Christmas chocolates so browsing the jewellery blogs is a guilt free alternative. <br /><br />I've found this website that I really wanted to share with you as I think the stuff she makes is brilliant. I've already invested in a tank of resin to have a go myself. Enjoy! http://pennydog.wordpress.com/<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/Szpq14lZ89I/AAAAAAAAAC4/4q-28c55PeA/s1600-h/resin+4.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/Szpq14lZ89I/AAAAAAAAAC4/4q-28c55PeA/s200/resin+4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420762575448699858" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SzpqcSAHyCI/AAAAAAAAACw/tVF9fUjik0w/s1600-h/resin+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SzpqcSAHyCI/AAAAAAAAACw/tVF9fUjik0w/s200/resin+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420762135595042850" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SzpqVtX7SrI/AAAAAAAAACo/OaKDHRf85wM/s1600-h/resin.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SzpqVtX7SrI/AAAAAAAAACo/OaKDHRf85wM/s200/resin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420762022683560626" /></a>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-85082910906988093882009-12-29T07:59:00.000-08:002009-12-29T08:52:30.961-08:00Beads I want to eatHello. It's Bronny, Victoria's daughter and I've sneaked into her studio today to make a few bits and bobs after I saw that she still hasn't made something marvellous using the gorgeous citrine beads we bought together in Norwich. A crime indeed, they look good enough to eat!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/Szova_-1StI/AAAAAAAAACQ/Qpc3L0TP-RI/s1600-h/citrine.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 204px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/Szova_-1StI/AAAAAAAAACQ/Qpc3L0TP-RI/s400/citrine.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420697242391890642" /></a><br />I've come up with this chunky necklace and bracelet set which, to my relief, Mum approves of. It will be going on the mypearlbox website, along with some other new stuff early in 2010 so look out for it. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SzowDUc5XEI/AAAAAAAAACg/LR9Uf-_bFec/s1600-h/necknew.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SzowDUc5XEI/AAAAAAAAACg/LR9Uf-_bFec/s320/necknew.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420697935081462850" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/Szov4q5gNUI/AAAAAAAAACY/MXJhnmTxLeo/s1600-h/IMGP5822_edited-1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/Szov4q5gNUI/AAAAAAAAACY/MXJhnmTxLeo/s320/IMGP5822_edited-1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420697752128468290" /></a><br />We've been making a lot of chunkier stuff since the discoverey of the Aladdins cave-esque bead shop near my house. It's like climbing the staircase to beaders heaven as the wonderful lady there spends hours helping us choose our bowl fulls of goodies telling us of her travels to source them. Is it just me or do these sorts of places make other people regress to being 6 and become practically paralysed by the sight of sparkles, natural and dyed colours and miniture works of art that flow down the the walls around you?! I am yet to tell a single non-crafty type who hasn't responded to my squeals of delight with a dissaproving look and words to the the effect that my life may be more sheltered than a 'normal' 27 year old single girl. <br />Anyway, roll on 2010 may it be a successful and happy year for all.Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-64274934606881656302009-12-14T12:43:00.000-08:002009-12-17T12:04:10.646-08:00Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-48733589956297618872009-11-29T02:58:00.000-08:002009-11-29T08:54:30.882-08:00We are in the NEWS !!!!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SxKnL1xkyUI/AAAAAAAAABY/Z7fr-_z20cQ/s1600/04+14+09_3401_front+page+earring_edited-1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SxKnL1xkyUI/AAAAAAAAABY/Z7fr-_z20cQ/s200/04+14+09_3401_front+page+earring_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409569924280797506" /></a><br /><a href="http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?eid=9c287903-c14f-4431-b287-27a4178c7bf9">CLICK HERE We're on page 2</a><br /><br /><br />It took me a while walking around the larger newsagents in Bury St Edmunds before I tracked down a copy of the Eastern Daily Press, Norfolk's daily paper. But I couldn't believe it when I eventually found the article (my apologies to the other customers in Lorfords for the noise I made). A page and a half article, PLUS, a small picture of me on the front page below which was the caption "More women who have given up the 9 to 5". Most of my friends would have a bit of a smile about that line as a 9 to 5 routine has never really been my sort of thing.<br /><br />Many months ago I wrote to the paper with an idea for an article about <strong>MyPearlBox</strong> because our very creative web designer, Ella Goodwin, along with my 2 daughters who provided the artistic graphics for the site, all went to the Norwich School of Art and Design (now known as Norwich University College of the Arts). As it happened the paper were already planning to publish a series of articles about women who had given up mainstream jobs to start their own businesses and, as I was at one time working as a teaching assistant in a Newmarket school which I had to give up whilst I recieved some hospital treatment, this was the angle they decided to use.<br /><br />Anyhow the article was fantastic, just a shame about the photo they took to use, my only centrefold picture ever and it makes me look ghastly.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mypearlbox.com">Click here to see our site!</a>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-3130114983265590642009-11-22T07:05:00.000-08:002009-11-22T09:30:17.431-08:00A Fine weekend<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SwlumXnPTJI/AAAAAAAAABQ/-K6xHF5t-R4/s1600/Beadsnovembernorwich+233.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tp0AKhbuy4I/SwlumXnPTJI/AAAAAAAAABQ/-K6xHF5t-R4/s320/Beadsnovembernorwich+233.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406974433087671442" /></a><br />I have had a good weekend satisfying three of my interests; family, food and making jewellery.<br /><br />The BOF and I travelled up to Norwich to visit No 2 daughter, Charlotte, who was in need of a little tlc. She is in her first year as an NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher)in a small rural Primary school. Like so many schools in England it is underfunded and she is responsible, largely single handedly, for 30 young children at the most important stage in their education, when they can absorb the fundemental skills for their future learning. But she is not looking after one year group, but two, and with very mixed abilities. On the one hand some of the youngest do not know what the different colours are let alone the intricassies of an alphabet and at the other end of the scale she is teaching the older ones their "times tables". I could go on but maybe this is not the best place.<br /><br />Anyhow despite the shortcomings of the system she loves her job, and loves her kids,but is working herself ragged trying to satisfy too many demands on her time. So we decided to get her away from her worrying and take her out for lunch followed by a bit of retail therapy. <br /><br />Like all members of the family, Charlotte enjoys her food and appreciates something prepared well. We chose something nearby so popped into Yellows, Delias New York style diner, under the stands of the Carrow Road Stadium. Norwich City were playing away so it was not very busy but the service and the food were excellent, especially the BOFs choice of Cincinatti Chilli. <br /><br /><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:q8kfdcVeFDFk0M:http://www.deliascanarycatering.co.uk/images/main/chilli.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 110px; height: 73px;" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:q8kfdcVeFDFk0M:http://www.deliascanarycatering.co.uk/images/main/chilli.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />We then had a slow meandering walk through town dropping in to the textile and art exhibitions that have been set up in some of the city's<br /> old churches. We ended up at a favourite bead shop run by a family that import furniture and knick knacks from around the Far East. Upstairs in one of their shops they display a treasure trove of interesting beads from sea washed glass from Bali, fabulous heavy cut glass made from old television sets in Afghanistan, silver from Indonesia, the list goes on. Anyhow we both ended up buying bags full and got very excited about what we were going to create. Pictures will be posted once I have made something up. <br /><br />And how did the day finish? What could be better than feet up on the settee watching X Factor and Match of the Day?Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2829523682654527281.post-40858245156447127462009-11-21T05:20:00.001-08:002009-11-21T05:41:35.328-08:00Proudly Introducing...<a href="http://www.mypearlbox.com"> <img src="http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/101/l_0a4df592cc6f4486bfea11875cb54e5e.jpg"/> </a><br /><br />This is my website! My friends have all loved playing with my pearls around the kitchen table and putting together there own designs so in the workshop of my website you can do just that! Play with different colours, templates and crystals and if you design something you like I'll make it up for you! So you can design jewellery to exactly match your dress or bring out the colour in your eyes! Or to give your girlfriend on her birthday. Oh the possibilities! Come and have a play, click on the picture to take you there!Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01689462191061388968noreply@blogger.com1